The Indian Navy has ordered a Board of Inquiry to probe the mid-sea accident to establish the facts of the case in which a speedboat out on engine-trials went berserk and rammed into the passenger ferry with over 100 tourists.
The disaster occurred around 5 km off the Gateway of India, leading to four deaths out of the six personnel in the naval speedboat and nine civilians, who were sailing in a private boat, 'Neelkamal' to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Elephanta Isles.
Among them was a naval officer and three OEMs, and the civilians, who were mostly tourists from different parts of India, included two minors, six females and the rest males, while two others have yet to be traced.
The search and rescue operations resumed this morning to track the two missing persons in what is billed as one of the worst-ever maritime disasters around Mumbai.
An official said that the Indian Navy has deployed a helicopter, eight ships and one vessel of the Indian Coast Guard for the overnight search operation that continued till this (December 19) evening, while regular ferries to and from Elephanta continued today as usual.
The owner of the 'Neelkamal', Rajendra Padte, said that the vessel had departed on its regular tourism voyage to Elephanta Islands at around 3.15 p.m. and barely an hour later the deadly collision tragedy was reported, "but it was not our fault".
As per officials, the speedboat reportedly developed a snag during the engine trials. The pilot lost control and rammed with full force into the tourist boat, as chilling videos of the incident surfaced late last night.
Peasants & Workers Party of India (PWP) General Secretary and ex-legislator Jayant P. Patil, who was present at the spot, slammed the concerned authorities for the massive tragedy with the ‘Neelkamal’ sinking soon afterward.
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis plus several Opposition leaders condoled the tragedy and the loss of innocent lives.
The Prime Minister announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh and the CM announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakhs to the kin of each deceased, plus financial assistance to all the injured.
The deceased have been identified as: two minors, Nidhish Rakesh Ahire, 8-year-old boy (Nashik), Mahi Sairam Pavra, 3-year-old girl (Dhule); besides the five women Harshada Rakesh Ahire, 31 (Nashik), Shafina Ashraf Pathan, 34 (Goa), Rama Ratidevi Gupta, 50 (Palghar), Pragnya Vinod Kamble, 39 (Navi Mumbai).
The other males who drowned in the catastrophe include T. Deepak, around 40, and Mahendrasingh Vijaysingh Shekhawat, 31, both with Indian Navy (Mumbai and Raigad), Rakesh Nanaji Ahire, 34 (Nashik), Pravin Ramnath Sharma, 34, (Andhra Pradesh), Mangesh Mahadev Kelkar, 33 (Thane), Mohammed Rehman Qureshi, 35 (Bihar) and Deepak Neelkanth Wakchaure, 50 (Mumbai).
--IANS
